West Coast Main Line: Assurances given over post-December timetable

Scotland's transport secretary has told MSPs it was not clear who would run the West Coast Main Line train service after a franchise deal was scrapped.

However, Keith Brown said he had been given assurances by the Department for Transport (DfT) that the current timetable would continue.

FirstGroup was supposed to take on the Glasgow to London service in December.

That plan was halted when the UK government admitted mistakes had been made in the franchise process.

Passenger information

Scotland's Transport Secretary Keith Brown said he had been given assurances from the UK government's rail minister that....

West Coast Main Line trains will run to timetable after 9 December [this was the original franchise handover date]

The same trains will be used

The same staff will be used

Tickets and bookings will remain valid

However, who will manage the service is not yet clear

Two independent inquiries have been ordered into what went wrong with the west coast process and three civil servants have been suspended.

Mr Brown said his key concern was that passengers who use the busy route to and from England should be given guarantees on the service.

He informed Holyrood that he had been told by the DfT that the service would be run to timetable, using the same trains and the same staff.

However, he added that it was not yet clear who would be in charge of that timetable.

Mr Brown told the chamber: "I have still to see the detail of DfT's contingency plan, and it is still not clear who will be operating train services in December.

"However, after finally managing to speak to the UK rail minister, I have his assurance that services will run to timetable, using the same trains and staff, and that tickets and bookings will be valid.

"DfT Ministers stated yesterday that our administrations have "common interest" in making sure there is no break in the service for passengers after 9 December.

"While I can understand that, in light of the mishandling of the franchise many people may be reluctant to give too much weight to DfT assurances.

"And although our powers in regard to rail remain limited, I am determined that I and my officials will monitor these assurances carefully and offer all assistance necessary, to ensure passengers are not disadvantaged."

West Coast Main Line franchise

15 August 2012 Virgin Rail loses franchise as FirstGroup awarded it by Department for Transport